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LISBON, Portugal, May 03, 2006 (Refocus
Weekly)
The world's largest solar power project will be
installed at a single site near Lisbon, using 52,000 photovoltaic
modules.
The 11 MW facility in Serpa, 200 km southeast of the Portugese
capital, will involve a US$75 investment from GE Energy Financial
Services, which will finance and own the plant. Construction will
start this month on a 60 hectare south-facing hillside that will
remain productive farmland.
When commissioned by January 2007, Serpa will generate electricity
for 8,000 homes and displace 30,000 tons a year in GHG emissions
compared with conventional fossil fuel generation. The location is
one of the sunniest areas in Europe, and the plant is expected to be
Portugal's first large PV installation to go online.
PowerLight will design, operate and maintain the modules using its
PowerTracker system, which the company says is the world's most
widely-used solar power system for large-scale power plants because
of its efficiency and reliability. The patented tracking technology
follows the sun as it moves across the sky, generating more
electricity than conventional fixed-mount systems.
Catavento, Producao de Energia Eolica Lda, a renewable energy
company in Portugal, developed the project and will provide
management services. The private company has developed 110 MW in
Portugal since 2001 and 225 MW in Brazil, and owns and operates 9.2
MW of wind energy through partnerships. This year, it will install
another 40 MW of wind turbines.
“This investment is a major step for GE Energy Financial Services
not only because this is the world's largest solar photovoltaic
plant, but also because it's our first solar power project in Europe
and puts us close to the $1 billion mark in our global renewable
energy portfolio,” says Alex Urquhart of GE. “The plant will benefit
from the use of PowerLight's innovative solar tracking technology
which will enhance the plant's energy yield.”
The Serpa project will increase GE’s renewable energy portfolio in
Europe to 177 MW.
“The Serpa solar power plant is a clear example of GE's commitment
to clean, reliable renewable energy,” says Tom Dinwoodie of
PowerLight.
“We hope this project clearly demonstrates that solar energy is a
promising alternative power source that should be freed from
roadblocks,” adds Piero Dal Maso of Catavento.
GE Energy Financial Services invested $3 billion last year in
energy, and is growing its portfolio of $1 billion in assets of
solar, biomass, hydro, wind and geothermal power.
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